mclean



.UNITED STATES 4 PlrritNfr OFFICE.

J. D.-MGLEAN, 0F NEW YORK, Nr Y.A

APPARATUS'FOP. FORMING lsI-"EtiraorvPi-z MoLDs.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 43.323, dated June 28, *1864.

To all whom' it may concern.'

Be it' known that I, J. I). MCLEAN of the city, county, and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved Machine for Forming Molds or Matrices forProducing.

44,1m enlarged transverse section-ef the plates between which the dies work, taken in the same line y y as Fig'. 3; Figs. 5, 6,-and 7, plan or 'top views of diii'erent dies.

Similar letters of vreference indicate corres'ponding parts in the several igures.

The object of this invention is to obtain a .machine of simple construction by which molds or matrices for producing stereotype or electrotype plates forletter-press printing may be formed direct'from dies, thereby avoiding the labor and expense of setting up type and the casting or forming of molds thereironi.

ToV enable those skilled in the art to fully understand andV construct my invention, I will proceed to describe it. l

A represents a lrectangular framing, which constitutes the base of the machine, and rests upon or is supportedby four feet or knobs, a., one at each angle or corner.

On the end pieces of the framing A there are secured uprights b b, two on each, to which the ends of two parallel plates, B B, are secured, and to the upper ends of these nprights a bar, C, is secured, said bar being directly over the plates B B and having a hub, c, at its center, in which a plunger, D, is fitted, said plunger 'having a knob, d, on its upper end and a spiral spring, e, upon it below the knob, the spring having a tendency to keep. the plunger elevated to its fullest extent, as will be -understood by referring to Figs. 1 and 3. The plates B B have each a groove, f, made vertically in them, said` 'i grooves being in line with eachother in a plane transversely-with the plates.

E is a sliding frame composed of two bars,

Hg g, which are iitted between the plates B B,

and have crossarms h at theirupper and lower ends, which are connected Vby rods t. This sliding frame' E has a rod, F, connected to one of its bars, g, by means otajoint, j,

said rod being between the plates BB and extending some distance beyond them with an upright, Ic, on its outer end, which may be tted into any of a series of notches, l, in a horizontal bar, G, attached to the uprights bb at one end of the framingA. (Sec, more particularly, Fig. 1.)

H represents a seriesof dies, which are fitted between the plates B B and within or betweenthe bars q g of the sliding frame E. These dies H have cross-arms fm on their upper ends, which rest upon the upper edges ot' the plates B B and retain the dies between said plates.

p The dies H consist of capitals and sin-all letters, an alphabet of each, numerals, and punctuation-marks, and it will be seen that by moving the rod F the sliding trame E will be moved and with it the dies H.

I is a bed, the ends ot' which `are fitted in rabbets n n at the sides of the framing A, so as to move laterally therein, as indicated by the arrows l 2, shown inFig. 2. To this bed I there are ,attached transversely two racks, J J, which areat the outer s ides of the plates B B and parallel therewith, as shown in Fig. 2. In each of these racks a pawl,l K, catches, said pawls being eonnectedat 'their -upper ends by pivots o with the lower ends of levers L, the upper ends of which are attached by t1lcrum-pins 10 to the plates B B. rI he lower end of each lever L has a spiral spring,

q, attached to it, one end of said springs be ing attached to the plates B, and a rod, i, projects horizontally from the lower end of each lever L, and has a spiral spring, s, attached to it, said springs being connected to lthe pawls K'.

In each groove f of the plates B B there is fitted a slide, M, which rests on springs N N, as shown in Figs. 3 and 4. v

0n the bed' I there is placed a sliding platform, O, the latter being iitted between guides 't t at the sides of said bed. To the under side of the platform O there is secured longitudinally a rack, P,fwith which a paw-l, Q, engages. This pawl works on a pivot, a, and .extends beyond the side of the bed I, and is curved at one side, as shown at o in Fig. 2.

It is a screw, which passes through a bracket, S, at one end of the framing A., as shown clearly'in Fig. 2.

Theoperation is as follows: The material which is used for the mold or matrix is placed on the platform O. This material maybe wax or any suitable plastic substance which will rtceive the impression of the dies H. The several dies, as required, are brought in line with or directly 'over the grooves f upon the slides M and underneath the plunger .D by lnoving'the rod F. The notches Z in the bar Gr are all provided with letters to serve as an index for the operator, who places the lower end ot' the upright kin the notch l, which is provided with a letter corresponding to the one on the die, and which is to be impressed in the mold. When the die is adjusted over the grooves f, the operator forces down the plunger l), the latter forcing the die into the plastic substance on the platform. i As each die is forced down the ends of4 its cross-arm m', will come in contactiwith the levers L I.- and throw back the pawls K, which, when the die rises, are drawn back to their original position, and in consequence of catching into the racks J J lmove the hed I along a distance equal to.'t`he` required spaces-between ihe letters. When one line of impressions is n ade, the outer lend of the pawl Q comes in contact with the screw It, and said pawl will consequently be actuated and the platform 0 lnoved in the direction indicated by arrow 3. This movement of the platform 0 determines the spaces between the lines of the impressions, and when one line ofimpressionsis made the operator raises the pawls K by means oi projections ax, attached thereto, andv moves the bed I back fin its original position for a succeeding line of impressions to be made.

f The width of the spaces between the lines of impressions may be varied as required by means oi' the screw R, which may be adjusted more or less inward toward the pawl Q, so

that the latter may be actuated in a greater or less degree.

The arms m of the dies H, at the outer sides of the plates B, vary in width4 according to the size of the die. .This is necessaryI in order that the impressions be properly spaced.

The slides M M are designed' to close the tops of the grooves f to admit of' the arms on ofthe dies passing over them.

The pawl Q `is provided with a spring to give it its return motion.. l f

Having thus described my iuvcngomwhatl claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. The employment or use of a slidngframe, E, provided with type-dies H, in connection with parallel plates B B, a notched-bar, G, and a rod, F, provided with an upright,lr, all arranged as shown, for the purpose of adjusting the type-dies' over' the plastic substance which receives the impressions, for the purpose set forth.

2. The plunger D, in combination with the dieframe E, grooves f f in the piatesB B, and slides M M in said grooves, for the purpose specified.

8. The pawls K K, connected with the levers L L, with the springs q s attached, in

connection with the racks .l J on the hed I,

for the purpose specified. l

4. The pawl Q and screw It, in connection with the pawl P at the under side 0f the plat- .form 0, for the purpose set forth.

. JOHN D. MCLEAN Witnesses:

M. M. LIVINGSTON, J. W. CooMBs. 

